After
by Yoka
Summary: What if Sakura went into a coma due to an accident with the Watery? Syaoran is the new Cardcaptor. Will Sakura wake up? SS, ET (maybe...) (am formerly known as Syoki)
1. New Dawn

Chapter 1- New Dawn  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ Dawn. It's 5:21 AM. A young boy wakes up from his blank slumber and pulls on a green shirt and a pair of sweats. Everything is black except for the thin thread of light omitting from the window. Outside, the sun peeks over the short apartment buildings of Tomoeda District, basking everything in its golden warmth. He watches the sun rise. A tall silhouette before the yellow background of the sun.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"5 minutes 'til class, good, I can still make it." The boy rushes down the hall to class 7-2. He enters into the noisy classroom oblivious to the silence afterwards as he trudges his way to his desk. He rests his head on the white desk still oblivious to the sudden eerie quiet of the room.  
  
"Psst, Syaoran." No answer. "Syaoran?" Still no answer, the boy's head is deathly still on the desk. "Syaoran, it's Tomoyo. Can you hear me?" She pokes him. Still no movement or reaction from the boy. She pokes him again. "What the hell do you want?!" At last, Sleeping Beauty has awakened. The boy is now staring at the crouched girl named Tomoyo. Actually, staring is not a good word to describe what the boy was doing... Glaring was more like it. "Well?" The boy asks impatiently. Tomoyo points at the boy's chest. He looks down. And realizes he's shirtless. "Ah great." The boy walks out of the classroom getting catcalls from the girls in the class.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Syaoran usually isn't this forgetful. In fact, he remembers everything from his mother's telephone number to the formula for the hard math problem on Tuesday's homework. He was just more absentminded recently because of the lack of sleep he was getting. No, Syaoran wasn't an insomnia sufferer. But he's been having these reoccurring dreams, dreams of an event he DID try to forget.  
  
Dreams of Sakura. Her smile, her face, and her promising him, she'll be back. And at a moment of greatest happiness for Syaoran, a moment when he is about to kiss her, about to express to her how he feels, the dream ends. Plunging Syaoran into the cold bitter reality that it was all a dream, and that Sakura was still in a coma and could quite possibly stay there forever. Countless times, he had told himself that it was just a dream, and that he would have to live without Sakura. Countless times he told himself, he didn't need her, and that the Clow Cards were all that mattered. Again building a wall around his heart. He would keep reminding himself this, until he drifted off to sleep. Only to once again, wake up at dawn to train. He's worked himself harder now that he is the sole Cardcaptor, and now that Meilin left. For you see, Meilin has always been Syaoran's sparring partner. The two use to wake up early to train and fight. Although Meilin did not have any magical abilities, she was his equal in martial arts.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Lunch  
  
Syaoran sat under the cherry tree in the school yard. It was his favorite spot in the whole playground, a place where he can be at peace, for the pink aura that surrounded the cherry blossoms were a common reminder to him that Sakura was not dead, and that she still lived. Even when unconscious, her magic still graced the beautiful flower she was christened after.  
  
He scanned his surroundings and found that everybody was with their own group of friends. The popular kids sitting on the steps near the doors. The jocks and cheerleaders over at the benches. 'Cheerleaders... Sakura was a cheerleader, but she was so different. Unlike the other cheerleaders, she was not an egotistical snob. She never really hung out with the snobby cheerleaders, but she never hated them. She was always kind and gentle to everybody....' He was roused from his daydream by giggles from the cheerleaders, who just happened to be passing him.  
  
"Hey Syao-chan, heard about your little stunt in class today. You must have been really hot, without your shirt on; too bad I wasn't there to witness it." Sumi, the leader of the group said, all the while batting her lashes at him. This disgusted Syaoran to no end, especially the nickname. He was not exactly on chummy terms with Sumi, who also happened to be known to like men for their popularity and status in school, and everyone knew that Syaoran was the most popular guy in school, with girls anyways. Luckily before Sumi could go on, Takashi Yamazaki showed up. "Li-kun, can you help me with my math homework? I'm having trouble with my quadratics." Takashi laughed. And Sumi and her friends just left. She always thought Takashi was weird and never socialized with him. As soon as she was out of hearing distance Syaoran spoke up. "You are probably the best liar I know, and for once, I'm glad you can lie as well as you can. Math homework, yeah right."  
  
"Well what else do I say to get rid of her? I'm sorry but Li-kun finds you extremely annoying and bitchy? At least Chiharu stopped my habit of telling false stories. Anyways, I'm going to meet Chiharu in a bit, so I'll see ya in class. Ja!" and Syaoran watched Takashi Yamazaki walk away.  
  
Takashi Yamazaki- probably the only real "guy" friend that Syaoran had. Women surrounded him all his life. His mother, his four sisters. He never really had any male companionship. Although Takashi is close to Syaoran, they are not quite "friends". They don't hang out with each other all the time; in fact, Takashi probably spends more time with his girlfriend, Chiharu, than with Syaoran. And Takashi doesn't know all of Syaoran's secrets. He doesn't know about magic or the Clow Cards. He doesn't know that Syaoran is suppose to marry Meilin Li as soon as he completes his mission at hand; to become the leader of the Li Clan, the most prominent and powerful family in China. Although they do not speak much, Syaoran and Takashi have a sort of mutual understanding. They understand each other, and whenever Syaoran needs help with something, he can always ask Takashi for help. No questions, Takashi would just help out. The same with Tomoyo as well. Although she never was the same cheerful self since 'the accident'. He fingered the obsidian amulet hanging around his neck. His sealing sword. Keroberos was forced to assign the duty of Cardcaptor the night after 'the accident'.  
  
~*~*~Flashback~*~*~  
  
It was raining. The sun was smothered and blocked by dark clouds, plunging the town below it into darkness. Lightning, Syaoran's element crackled across the sky. A display of the emotions raging in him at the moment. He felt pain, and especially anger, at not being able to save her. So here he was, Syaoran, sitting in the same tree he always sits in. And he knew it wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do to sit in a tree during a thunderstorm, but he didn't care. He was not only pondering on what might happen to Sakura, but the world also. Sakura was the sole Cardcaptor. Only she possessed the sealing wand enabling her to seal the Clow Cards. Although Syaoran has more experience in magic, he does not have the power to seal cards. So that meant even if he weakened the cards, they would always stay in their spiritual form, never tamed, which can be a really bad thing considering the damage they can cause. He found himself walking aimlessly across through the streets of Tomoeda and automatically going back to his house. 'Might as well get some sleep.' After awhile he finally fell asleep.  
  
~~~~~Dream  
  
He felt himself falling. Falling. From where? He called upon the element wind, and that stopped his fall. Dressed in his battle costume equipped with his sword he landed on Tokyo Tower. The bright lights smiled at him, as they twinkled and blurred before his vision. Turning around swiftly, he faced a Keroberos with a very grim expression on his face. The beady little eyes of the stuffed animal seemed bigger than usual, and there were lines under them. After a moment of staring, Keroberos broke the silence. "So kid. We have to settle this."  
  
"I understand."  
  
"Are you ready? To accept your responsibility."  
  
"I guess."  
  
"So how are you feeling? A Cardcaptor's state of mind is most vital."  
  
"That's none of your business, STUFFED ANIMAL. Will you just get on with it?"  
  
"Listen gaki! I'm just as depressed 'bout this as you are k? So don't give me that!"  
  
Syaoran glared at Kero. And for the first time, he finally realized how idiotic it must be, to be arguing with him. "Fine. I'm-" he couldn't say it. He couldn't say sorry. It just couldn't come out of his mouth.  
  
"S'ok kid. I get it." With a rather grand flourish of a paw, the Clow Book materialized between the two. "Place your sword on the book." Syaoran placed his sword gingerly on the still floating book. "Book of Clow. Here stands the one who wishes to enter the contract with thee. A boy. Named Syaoran. He stands before you. Release!" The sword within Syaoran's grasp immediately began to transform. The hilt grew broader and on the side of the hilt etched in the metal is the symbol of the symbol of the Clow. Suddenly the sword transformed once again, this time into a round ball of black glass threaded by a piece of string. His amulet.  
  
yeh yeh, I know Tomoyo and Eriol didn't come in yet.. that's later on..our favorite evil couple's schemes won't be left out! although they're not really a couple.. not in the Japanese series at least.. I don't know where fanfiction people think up ideas for E+T but I think that a little mischief is needed ne? Like what you read? Please R+R. 


	2. Death of a Star

Chapter 2- Death of a Star  
  
He only saw black. It stretched on and on reaching infinity. That pitch darkness that made you think your eyes were closed. He didn't know how long he had been standing there until the distant rays of light reached his eyes, illuminating him and the round piece of rock he was standing on. He turned around to find the light source and realized that it came from a large ball of fire, beautiful and bright, but yet so unattainable and deadly. A star. Very slowly, the space became filled with stars, some close, some far. All equally bright, twinkling humbly. He turned back to the closest one of them all, the sun. "The moon shines light from the stars." And he woke up.  
  
~*~*~ That dream was weird, was it a prophecy? How could it, nothing happened? What was it trying to foretell? These thoughts were running through Syaoran's head as he got a drink of water from his kitchen. He walked out to his bedroom balcony, a light breeze ruffling his chestnut hair. He stood there, leaning over his balcony, glass in hand. As he turned it in his hands, he noticed how light danced and glimmered off the glass. He looked up, the only light emitting from the full moon above. "The moon shines light from the stars." Didn't the moon reflect light from the sun? Oh wait, the sun is a star. Is that supposed to mean something? Moon and Stars. If this really was a prophecy, it must have something to do with the moon and stars. Moon, star, moon, star, moon, star, moon. Sakura. Doesn't Sakura draw power from the stars? And I'm the moon. Something's going to happen to me and Sakura. Something's going to happen to Sakura! He stretched his senses and felt for her aura. It was flickering. Something was definitely wrong. Syaoran tore the amulet from his neck and it transformed to a sword in his hand. "Release! Dash!" Wings sprouted on his feet and he jumped off his balcony, landing stealthy on the street floor.  
  
~*~*~ He reached the hospital within minutes. Running to the West side, he flew up, opened the third window to the right and crept in.  
  
Inside the hospital room, all was quiet except for the faint beeping coming from the heart monitor. Putting his sword back in its sheath, he walked calmly over to Sakura's body, memorizing every detail of it. Noticing the thin hospital shirt that she donned beneath the sheets, he blushed. Looking down and realizing he was only wearing his pajamas, his blush deepened. He thanked god that the room was dark and that no one was there to witness this.  
  
Pulling a chair to her bedside, Syaoran sat there pondering. I could have sworn that she was in distress. Hearing a sound, his head snapped up and noticed it came from Sakura. The hand closest to him, which happened to be her right, was clutching her bed sheets. Syaoran immediately understood. He quickly grabbed her hand and placed it in his; holding her, just to make sure that even subconsciously she knows there's someone she can hold on to.  
  
~*~*~ She had been on line for since like forever, and she was finally at the front. Although she was on this line for such a long time, she was never tired or hungry and she knew there had to be something special about this place. From what she learned from the people on line with her, you were supposed to stand before the triad to receive your judgment. Now she didn't know what this 'judgment' was, but she sure that this meant serious business. She was quite aware that she was becoming increasingly nervous and she even started fidgeting. She tried to control her anxiety by balling her hands into fists and taking deep breaths. It didn't help. But then for some unknown reason, she felt at peace and ready to meet the triad. No sooner had she recollected herself, did the lady come tell her to step forward. "Kinomoto Sakura, the triad is ready to see you." ~*~*~ Sakura was gripping his hand so hard that he was afraid that she might cut off his circulation. But what Syaoran was afraid of even more was that Sakura would slip away from him forever. Although the machine that was reading her brain activity was beeping wildly, he didn't go get the doctor. No, he knew what was happening. Now was a vital moment. Whether Sakura would die or wake up would depend on her choice. It was all up to her decision. He just hoped for his own sanity that she chose to stay with him.  
  
~*~*~ The auburn haired girl lowered her head as she walked before three beings. They were no larger than her, yet they seemed so intimidating perched upon three tall dais. These beings had no definite form, although their shape resembled that of a human. As closely human as something bathed in holy white light can get at least. However, as Sakura raised her eyes to meet the gazes of the triad she found that their light was not blinding in any way. Their auras were passive and comforting. That however didn't comfort Sakura much; she still wanted to know what was going on.  
  
"Kinomoto Sakura." Sakura nodded in acknowledgement, but not daring to speak.  
  
"This is your judgment. You have been deemed worthy." said the first voice, it sounded male, although Sakura wasn't certain from which figure the voice came from. The sound seemed to come from all around her. She wanted to ask a question though, and wasn't sure if she should. Quietly she muttered, "Worthy?"  
  
"You are worthy of a choice." A second voice, that of a female responded.  
  
Choice? Sakura thought confused as always.  
  
"Yes it is your choice whether you live or not." The third voice replied as if reading her mind. This voice seemed like that of a child.  
  
"You mean I can go back?" Sakura all but begged.  
  
There was an eerie silence as the figures seemed to study Sakura closely. Sakura hoped she can go back home. She missed her father, her brother, and her friends. Syaoran.  
  
"You have a choice." The three voices said again.  
  
"Will you walk upon the world as a ghost because of your unfulfilled destiny?"  
  
"Will you stay within the gates of paradise?"  
  
"Or will you go back to your lover. But only in a new form?"  
  
Sakura's eyes watered. New form? She would never be Kinomoto Sakura again?  
  
"Whatever your choice, you will never be Kinomoto Sakura again. Your soul would be reincarnated, but we cannot let you remember your previous life or the events taken place here." The female stated.  
  
"Where is here?!" Sakura wailed. She dropped to her knees, weeping silently.  
  
Silence reigned for a few seconds. "You are in your judgment place. You are in limbo Kinomoto Sakura. Very few are allowed access to the gates of heaven, you are lucky." The female stated again.  
  
"If you wish to see your loved ones again you may become a ghost." The male replied quietly. Sakura looked up, tears streaked down her face. Her nose was red from crying. "But they would never see you again. You cannot communicate with them and you would live your after-existence alone." Sakura broke down crying again.  
  
"Your final option is to be reincarnated into a new body, one which is also in stasis as your body is but not as badly injured." The third voice, the child responded. "But as stated before, any memory of your previous life would be erased." The voices quieted to await her decision. She didn't need to think hard to decide. She summoned all her memories, from the good times with her friends in Tomoeda, to the funny moment with his family. She felt sadness in knowing her relationship with Syaoran would go no farther. They were just becoming friends. Possibly more. Oh well, she was glad she had these memories, although this was probably the last time she would remember them.  
  
"I have decided. Reincarnate me. But I have one request."  
  
"Speak, descendent of Kusabana clan"  
  
"I keep my key." Sakura demanded reaching up to clutch her clow key protectively.  
  
"Maybe someday. someday in my new life I would remember who I was."  
  
"Your wish is granted. Fare well Kinomoto Sakura of the Kusabana clan. We wish you luck." Sakura only had enough time to smile gratefully before darkness overcame her.  
  
~*~*~ Syaoran felt a sense of dread settle as he heard a steady beep. He ripped his eyes away from Sakura's beautiful face and settled it on the screen. His eyes grew wide in disbelief. No, it wasn't true. The hand he held was still warm. The machine must have malfunctioned, maybe one of the wires connecting Sakura to the EKG short circuited or something. He had to find out. Slowly, he dragged two fingers to the artery on her wrist. Nothing. No, maybe his fingers aren't on the artery. He slid his fingers across her wrist, almost caressing her smooth skin, trying to find the artery. He was trying to find the pulse. He frantically placed his fingers on the sure spot on Sakura's neck. The location of her carotid artery. It was the biggest artery in her whole body, surely it would beat. He waited a couple of seconds, then a minute, waiting for a response. Nothing came. Only then did he realize that Sakura's face was unusually pale, her hand abnormally cold and her heart not beating. He ran out of the room, looking for a doctor.  
  
~*~*~ Sitting behind her desk at the trauma division of the Mercy Hospital, Nurse Utada Nami filed her nails. She was bored out of her mind. Sure the first few weeks of work have been interesting, exploring her new work space, meeting new people, doing new things. And occasionally there would be interesting things happening. Nice things, like families coming to visit their loved ones. Thank god she didn't work at the ER. She wouldn't be able to take all that gore and sadness. People constantly died at the ER, rarely few died in trauma. Patients in the trauma division were just people who accidentally fell down and knocked unconscious. The most people would get here was temporary amnesia. She looked up when she heard a large banging of a door closing and a tall boy run up to her. What was the boy doing in the hospital at this hour? Visiting hours are over.  
  
"Hey kid. Visiting hours are over. Go home." As the boy got closer, she saw the torment in his eyes, liquid brown, as if they were about to pool out at any moment.  
  
"Please. Where is the doctor? I need a doctor... nurse please I need a DAMN DOCTOR!"  
  
"Well what can I assist you with?"  
  
"There is nothing you can do." The boy commanded.  
  
Nami huffed. How dare he insult her medical expertise! "I can help you just fine. Now what are you doing in the hospital at this hour young man?"  
  
"Please." The young man begged. "I need a doctor. My friend, she."  
  
Looking at the young man turned boy by his pleading and wet eyes, Nami knew what happened. "Alright." She picked up the phone and dialed the intercom system. "Dr. Akane, Dr. Akane, report to Trauma Division, West Wing 9th floor nurses office. In need of assistance immediately. I repeat, need of assistance in 9th floor Trauma Division W." She hung up the phone and took a deep breath before fixing her eyes on the chocolaty brown of the male before her. He was really handsome. Or would be if it wasn't for the look of utter despair in his eyes. "Now tell me, what your name is."  
  
"Syaoran."  
  
Nami smiled, knowing there was progress. "Well my name's Nami. Would you like some tea? Hot chocolate? Coffee?" She chuckled. "Though I doubt such a handsome young man like you would drink coffee." He didn't react to her compliment, just muttering a "Hot chocolate please."  
  
As Nami fixed up the hot chocolate, she tried to make conversation with this aloof youth. "So. is your friend alright? Judging by your age you must be friends with that pretty girl Sakura."  
  
"We were close."  
  
"But I've never seen you visit." Nami handed him the hot chocolate.  
  
"I visited late at night." Ah. So that explains what he was doing here... After hours. Clever boy.  
  
"And how did you get here after hours?"  
  
"Via windows." Nami's eyes widened. This was the 9th floor. How did he get in? Almost as if reading her mind the boy responded in a solemn voice, "I have my ways." Nami decided that this boy was either crazy or gifted with flying ability. Both of which she doubted. The boy looked sane to her. Then he had to be really athletic to climb 9 floors. Looking at the built boy sitting next to her on the couch, she didn't doubt that.  
  
"How did you know Sakura?"  
  
"We were rivals in school."  
  
"Wow a rival coming to visit in the middle of the night. Sounds more like a secret admirer to me." Syaoran sputtered on his drink. When he finally stopped choking he glared silently at the tiled floor, contemplating.  
  
"I didn't have enough time to even ponder if I liked her or not. Our relationship did not have time to develop into anything."  
  
"So are you saying you feel regret? Sadness?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I guess I feel guilt the most."  
  
"Guilt? You didn't kill her." Nami said these words in a consoling matter, not realizing the affect it would have on the brown haired youth next to her.  
  
"But I did! I couldn't save her. I did kill her." The boy snapped then began to sob. Nami wasn't sure what to do before he pulled the boy in a motherly embrace. She didn't say anything, knowing that words couldn't consol him. Hell, she probably couldn't even empathize with him. But she can give him her support. Not her sympathy, her support.  
  
Author's Note: So sorry for the sadness but it's essential! Erm, I was busy yesterday so I couldn't post this up but I'm glad that people actually like my ficcy! Um, last year I left off when Sakura is about to meet the triad. I haven't been as busy recently so I started writing. My style is slightly different though; hope you guys still like it! Btw. Kusabana means flower. I noticed there were a couple of flower names in CCS, Sakura, Nadeshiko. Anyways. thanks a lot to those who reviewed. Curious: Argh! You got me. This whole idea was thought up a year ago and back then I've only seen the mutilated Nelvana version. When I visited Asia during the summer that year, I watched the Japanese version and found out my mistake. However, I've already written so much and I like this plot. So. um you can sort of think of this as an alternate universe. yeah. Starquestor: Really?! You actually read it on a site? Because a while back (I don't remember when) I sent it to a couple of friends among them ChetteTeng and they posted it on their sites. I expect it's running around the net under my numerous pennames... I should really stick to one. It's either Yoka, Yoka26, Saki, Syoki, or Strdust. ^_^. Baby Blossom: Thanks! Input from readers is really appreciated. Lil' Aik: Sorry if I got your name wrong.. thanks a lot and keep reading! Just don't let it get in the way of major reports and stuff like that.. I had hell to pay when I spent a whole night reading CCS fanfiction instead of actually doing my SS term paper. Sakura Kinomoto: err thanks for reviewing twice. although I'm not sure that was on purpose. ( Melody: =P CJ: Thanks. Miss Devil: read above w/ Curious. O((o.O))O so sorry for the mess up heh heh heh. Yeh, this ficcy is more Syaoran oriented than anything. I like Tomoyo, it's just she can be kinda boring sometimes. She's funny and mischievous when she has a target but I mean Sakura's dead and Syaoran is just always ignoring her. I hoped that cleared up a few things. heheh thanks for the character development compliment. 


	3. Green Ayame

Chapter 3- Green Ayame  
  
Green eyes slowly opened to the sound of cars honking and people shouting. The city was at full-swing as the eyes opened more fully. Thankfully the window shades were closed. Otherwise the occupant of the room would've been blinded by the bright light. Wearily she sat up and flexed her fingers and toes. God, it hurt to do even that. She felt sore. Where was she? Looking around she found herself in a very spartan room, plain and empty except for the bed she was sleeping on and a side table. How boring. She felt like exploring and she needed to go to the bathroom. Sitting up more fully, she swung her legs over the bed side and stood up.  
  
Then she fell down. Her legs just couldn't support her own weight. They hurt like hell and they felt like they were numb from sitting too long. She couldn't move. Wearily, she opened her dry mouth and called for help. "Help." A cracked voice wheezed. That was not her voice was it? She cleared her throat. "Help." Well at least it was louder. "Help. Someone please help me." No one can hear her. She wasn't loud enough. She gave up and slumped on the floor. The door to her room banged open. A brown-haired middle aged woman walked into the room, eyes scanning before dropping to the figure on the floor. "Ms. Mizuki!" The woman ran to the body and helped her back to the bed.  
  
"Where am I?" The girl's young voice croaked.  
  
"Hold on dear." The lady ran out and came back with a cup of water which she handed to the girl. "Drink." She said firmly. As the girl drank her fill, feeling the cool soothing liquid run down her throat, the woman spoke. "You are in the hospital. Had a car accident. Damn kids were drunk driving." The woman shook her fist in the air. "Now sit here and wait while I call your parents." The lady made her way to the door.  
  
"Wait." The girl's voice came clearer now. The woman stopped walking. "Who am I? Why can't I remember anything?"  
  
"You were scratched up pretty badly when you came here. Bleeding from the side of the head. You might have some memory loss. But don't worry, it'll come back eventually." "What's your name ma'am?"  
  
"Name's Nami. Now sit tight young lady I'm going to call your parents." The lady exited closing the door behind her. Only after the lady left did the girl realize what an idiot she was. She didn't ask the lady what her own name was! Well at least she knew her last name was Mizuki. Mizuki what? She would just have to wait till the woman came back. Minutes ticked by, then half an hour. The lady wasn't back yet. Argh, what if she forgot me? When it almost turned 2 PM, an hour later, the door opened. Turning her bored gaze from the clock she rested her eyes on to a plump lady with red hair standing at the doorway. The lady walked in, bearing a fruit basket. She was radiant in her beauty, despite the white hairs beginning to grow and the worry lines on her face. Behind her bounced in a little girl with short cropped black hair. The little girl met her gaze and smiled. Mizuki couldn't help but smile back. The girl came in and closed the door behind her. She bounced her way over to the bed and plopped down next to Mizuki.  
  
"Hiya Ayame!" The little girl hugged her, leaving the hugged young woman very confused. "I missed you big sister." Ah, so this energetic girl was her little sister. Then Ayame must have been her name. Mizuki Ayame. She liked it. Ayame turned to the older woman. This must have been her mother.  
  
"Mother?"  
  
"Yes Ayame?"  
  
"I'm sorry I don't remember you." The woman pulled Ayame into a comforting hug.  
  
"Shh... it's alright. We know what happened. It's not your fault. You will remember in due time."  
  
"The nurse said you can leave today, but you'd be a little tired because you haven't moved in weeks!" The little girl chirped. Ayame smiled. Releasing her mother she turned to the little girl.  
  
"What's your name? I'm sorry I don't remember."  
  
"It's ok Ayame. My name's Natsu!"  
  
"Summer. What a pretty name."  
  
"I like your name too Ayame. It's pretty." They both smiled at each other.  
  
"Come now let's get you home. It's much more comfortable than the hospital." With that the woman set about packing up her belongings and tidying up the room whilst Natsu told Ayame everything that happened in the 3 weeks she was gone.  
  
~*~*~ Ayame was wheeled out of the hospital by her mother as Natsu walked beside her. They made their way across the courtyard and into the parking lot. There taking up two spaces was a limousine. Upon seeing them a man in his twenties came out the car and helped Ayame and Mrs. Mizuki into it. Natsu preferred to just run in while the man chuckled. The driver seemed pleasant enough, making conversation with Mrs. Mizuki about the weather and the government's plan on constructing new highways. As the car drove to the highway she soon realized why. The traffic was bumper to bumper. Ayame fell asleep on her mother's shoulder.  
  
She awoke later when the car came to a halt. Opening her eyes, Ayame looked out the window to see a large mansion. Wow, my family must be really rich. Slapping her forehead, Ayame realized how stupid she must have been. Duh! We have a limo and a driver. "Mom, can I walk by myself?"  
  
"Are you sure you can? You just got out of the hospital."  
  
"I'm feeling a lot better."  
  
"Well alright. I'll help you."  
  
Slowly stepping out of the limo, Ayame stood up. She waited awhile to make sure she wouldn't fall over and took her first step. It felt weird. And her leg hurt only a little. Giving a reassuring smile to her mom and Natsu, she continued forward. Slowly walking around in a circle before standing in front of her family beaming. They clapped and said their congratulations. The driver (which Ayame found out to be called Aki) took care of the luggage and the group walked back to the mansion.  
  
~*~*~ In the foyer, there was a family portrait. There was her mother, her sister, a tall man and another girl. With a start she realized that that other girl must be her. Studying the portrait more closely she found that she also had black hair, like the man in a portrait and her sister. But why was she frowning while everybody else was smiling. Albeit the smile the man had looked a bit forced. Was she an unhappy child? "Mom, was I an unhappy child?"  
  
Her mother fidgeted, thinking for words to say. "Well you weren't difficult in anyway, it just seemed you weren't satisfied with your lifestyle that's all. I think it was the influence of your friends."  
  
Her friends? What did her friends have to do with this?  
  
"Were my friends bad people?"  
  
"Let's not speak of this now Ayame. Come, let's have you settled in and then we'll have dinner."  
  
"Hai okaasan."  
  
~*~*~ Ayame was in her room. Looking around she found it utterly bland and boring. Sure, her room was furnished with the most beautiful of furniture, probably the most expensive too. Her tall canopy bed had to have cost a fortune while her elegant vanity made of redwood screamed expensive. But other than that and a few plush cushions, the room was devoid of contents. Oh yes, there were clothes. Tons in the walk in closet. But there was nothing on the walls. No pictures, no posters, nothing to identify this room with the person living it. Not even a bookcase to see what her favorite books were. Sighing she tucked herself in and prepared to go to bed. She was about to fall into slumber-land when her mother knocked on the door. "Come in." The round woman walked in and sat on the bed. "Honey, if you feel up to it tomorrow, you can go to school."  
  
"Ok mom." After Mrs. Mizuki exited Ayame finally fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~ The next morning Ayame awoke to a light tapping on her arm. She wanted to ignore it but the tapping persisted and after a while a voice kept on saying, "Come on Ayame wake up." or "Wake up sleepy-head." Needless to say, Ayame was really annoyed and finally opened her eyes to meet the brown gaze of her sister.  
  
"Ok, I'm up I'm up."  
  
"Ayame if you don't wake up you'll be late for your new school!"  
  
"New school? Why can't I go to my old school?"  
  
"Cuz the teacher said you were bad. I don't think you were bad Ayame, you're the nicest person I know!"  
  
"Thanks Natsu, now lead me to the bathroom."  
  
"N'uh. Not until we eat breakfast. I'm starving." Chuckling the two made their way to the dining room. After a hearty meal in the large dining room, the two sisters rushed up the stairs to the bathroom they both shared. In the bathroom were two toothbrushes, one blue one black. Black? Who uses a black toothbrush? Ayame thought. As Natsu picked up the blue one Ayame found out that the black one was hers.  
  
"Uh. Natsu, I don't like black can I have another color?" Natsu stopped brushing for a second, eyeing Ayame before spitting out the foam.  
  
"Ayame black used to be your favorite color. But I'll get you other colors." Natsu stood on her tippy-toes and opened the medicine chest. In there was a whole assortment of things, floss, rubbing alcohol, acne medicine, blue hair dye, gel toothpaste, and finally two different colored toothbrushes. Taking the two brushes out, Natsu held them up for Ayame. One was green while the other was pink. Ayame liked green but thought the idea of a pink brush was much more appealing. She took the pink one and put the green one away. After they brushed their hair and did all that good stuff, they went back to their respective rooms to get dressed and ready.  
  
Ayame made her way to her walk in closet and walked down the wide aisles scanning both sides for clothes that she liked and would be appropriate to wear to school. She wanted to make an impression on the first day of school. She didn't need to choose however when she came across a school uniform. It was at the end of her closet and newly pressed. Attached to the shirt was a note reading: Ayame, have a good first day of school; I'm sorry I won't be here in the morning because I'm busy but I wish you luck. Your school supplies and the information you need would be in your book bag, which should be by your door. Have fun, school starts at 9! - Mom.  
  
Smiling Ayame took the outfit off its hanger and decided to explore a little. Continuing on she found that there was a doorway at the other end of the closet. Near the doorway was an assortment of accessories: watches, bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces, and hair items too. Picking out a watch and a black scrunchie she quickly tied her hair up and put on the watch. As she walked through the doorway she realized it was an entertainment room. Maybe it was where I hung out, thought Ayame. Beanie chairs were placed in a circle around a short table with a laptop sitting on it. Across from the beanie chairs was a large television with a VCR and a DVD player. In a niche in the side wall was a stereo system. Nice. was all Ayame can think of. Very nice. Looking down at the watch she realized it was 8. She better get dressed for school. She quickly dressed and grabbed her book bag, running down to the foyer where she met her sister.  
  
"You ready big sis?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Ok, let's go to the driveway to meet Aki." The little girl led the way to the driveway. There they entered the modest black car and said their greetings to Aki. On the ride to school, Ayame realized she didn't know much about her little sister.  
  
"Natsu, where do you go to school?"  
  
"Tomoeda Elementary."  
  
"What's your grade?"  
  
"2nd"  
  
"So you're 8?"  
  
"Yeah sis. And you're 13."  
  
"Ah." Silence resumed as Ayame looked through the tinted glass. The scenery was beautiful, the flowering trees swaying in wind. As the car continued, the trees got less and less frequent and gave way to the concrete blocks of the city. There would be the occasional potted tree on the sidewalk. The city wasn't large and populated but resembled more of a small town. The car halted and Natsu stepped out.  
  
"Cya sis! Have fun in your new school. Bye Aki!"  
  
"Goodbye Ms. Natsu." The car continued for a bit before stopping at a red light.  
  
"Um. Aki, where is my school?"  
  
"Just a little bit ahead, a couple of blocks I'd say."  
  
"Can you drop me off here? I want to start off walking on my first day."  
  
"Are you sure? You could be late."  
  
"Positive. I have fifteen minutes before class, I'll be fine."  
  
"Alright. It's still red, why don't you get off here."  
  
"Kay. See you later Aki." Ayame grabbed her bag and exited the car.  
  
"Later Ms. Ayame." Aki said before driving off.  
  
~*~*~ Walking on the sidewalk along the planted trees of the school, Ayame felt at peace. She was happy, scared, and nervous. Above all, she was excited. Who would she meet in her new school? What would she encounter? She walked quickly towards school. ~*~*~ Tomoyo and Meilin were making their way towards school. They were literally dragging their feet they were so tired. Yesterday both of them were unable to sleep. They didn't know why but now they were paying the price. And it was a Monday! Mondays were never good.  
  
"Devil's work! That's what Mondays are." Meilin whined.  
  
"Mondays aren't evil. They just suck." Tomoyo mumbled.  
  
"Yeah." Meilin trailed off. Both girls turned towards a girl walking quickly to school.  
  
"She seems happy." Meilin replied with a bitter laugh.  
  
"Yeah, new girl? I've never seen her before."  
  
"Heh, probably." And both girls made their way up the stairs towards the gates of hell. er, school. Translation: Ayame is Iris (the flower or the part of the eye. get it? Green Iris? err.. never mind.. if anyone actually gets it tell me. O((o.o))O) Natsu means summer.  
  
Author's Note: I've hit writer's block. Can't find motivation. God, I gotta get myself a muse. 


	4. And so they meet

Li Syaoran was in his homeroom earlier than usual. It was only 8:30 but he didn't feel like socializing with people.

He didn't even feel like sitting in the hallway reading like he often did. He just wanted to be alone. He needed quiet. That's why he was in his seat, half an hour before class started. Surely nobody would go into class until the bell rang.

"Sakura. I'm sorry." Syaoran said before drifting off into a daze.

Tomoyo and Meilin walked towards their classroom after they got their books from their lockers. The two had become very close after Sakura's accident. The two were the most unlikely of friends, having totally different views and beliefs, although they did agree on some things. Example: the suckiness of Mondays. But the two had fun, and they were always laughing. Their jokes usually revolved around a certain brown-haired Chinese warrior, whether it was something embarrassing that happened to him the other day (courtesy of Meilin) or a moment caught on tape (courtesy of Tomoyo). It's actually a lot funnier if the embarrassing moment is caught on tape so you can blackmail the person. But one thing is for certain. Their favorite guy friend is definitely Syaoran. Their friendship with Syaoran was another thing they both had in common. Tomoyo and Meilin were the only girls that Syaoran could actually tolerate because they knew all his secrets and they didn't want his handsome butt on a date. Sure there was Chiharu and Rika and Naoko. But those girls hadn't been through as much with Syaoran as Tomoyo and Meilin had so they didn't really understand.

Meilin opened the door but her laughter died down when she saw Syaoran staring at the blackboard. He was looking in the direction of the blackboard but his eyes didn't seem to be focused on it but on something behind it. She nudged Tomoyo to shut up and they both walked quietly to their seats. Nobody should disturb Syaoran when he was thinking. Who knows what he would do to them? He would most probably get really mad and snap at them.

Sitting down in her seat next to Syaoran, Meilin twiddled her thumbs impatiently. She heard Tomoyo shuffle in the seat behind her. Time seemed to tick by with the occasional ruffle of clothing or tapping of the pen on the table. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. _God._ Meilin thought. _This is really boring. When is he going to wake up again?_ Looking at Syaoran, Meilin saw that he was still in the same position he was a couple of minutes ago. Drumming her fingers on the table, she waited for the bell to ring.

Ayame was not sure where she was. When she entered the school, she had asked for directions to the principal's office but, after the second right, she was utterly lost. Looking at her watch, she realized that it was already 8:55. In 5 minutes, class would start. Sighing, Ayame walked around aimlessly. When she grew tired of that, she flopped on a couch and sighed again. _I'm never going to find the principal's office._ Just then a shadow loomed over her form, blocking her light. Looking up, she met the eyes of a stern man with gold-rimmed glasses and a frown on his face.

"Do you need help?" The man said curtly.

"Is this the principal's office?" her meek voice replied.

The man nodded and gestured her to follow him. Thanking her luck, Ayame grabbed her school bag and dashed after the man, who was taking really long strides for such a small man. As they walked (or rather jogged in Ayame's case), the man unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to her. Looking down on it she realized it was her schedule. _Homeroom first, then Japanese, then PE, Lunch, English, Math, Science, and World History. I can do this no problem!_ Looking up from the page Ayame allowed herself to smile in anticipation of the day ahead.

"Now you listen here. Your reputation in the other schools was rather… unpleasant, but I expect you to rid yourself of that and start anew here at Tomoeda Middle School and to be at your best!"

"Thank you sir. I won't disappoint you."

"Well I certainly hope so." They stopped at a door. "Here Miss Mizuki is your room. The other rooms are on your schedule and you should be able to find them easily." And the principal swiftly about faced and walked away. Staring at the plain wooden door, Ayame felt a moment of trepidation. What if her classmates didn't accept her? What if she couldn't remember how to do the math problems or the date of the Second World War? What if she was really bad at sports? But it wasn't just the fear of embarrassing herself in front of others. There was something else. Something else was tugging at her mind but she couldn't seem to place it. Feeling a sense of vertigo, Ayame clutched the cool tile of the wall and hoped the confusion would go away. She heard the bell ringing and the slamming of the door next to her and the sound of running. She paid the noise no heed and willed the throbbing of her head and the sense of unease to disappear. Finally, when she felt somewhat better, she walked into the room.

For the past five minutes, Meilin had occupied herself by drumming her fingers on the table. She found that drumming different fingers on different spots on the table made different sounds. She was playing something akin to Mozart's "Piano Concerto no. 21" before the bell rang and the door opened.

It was closed earlier by Tomoyo because the noise in the hallway was unbearable. Some kid decided that he was the next teen sensation and the best thing to hit Japan since Utada Hikaru. So he demonstrated his wonderful "skill" by singing American pop star Avril Lavigne's "Complicated". Tomoyo was glad he wasn't in chorus. Well, he probably wouldn't have passed the tryouts for Junior Chorus anyway. Then again, the guy wasn't so bad, just untrained. He had to learn that he couldn't hit the high notes.

Tomoyo didn't have time to decide whether she thought the guy was overall worth recommending to the music teacher (she was after all, the President of the Junior Chorus). She heard the bell ring a second time indicating that students only had a minute to get to their rooms before they were officially marked late. Looking around the room, she noticed it was almost full. The teacher, Tougeika-sensei, was already taking attendance.

"Daidouji, Tomoyo."

"Here."

"Edo, Takato."

"Yo."

Looking at Edo-kun, Tomoyo was reminded of the rap stars she saw on television. If it wasn't mandatory to wear a uniform for school, he probably would've come in with baggy pants and a hoodie. Then again, he didn't need the baggy pants. It was a miracle how Edo was able to make even the business-like school uniform look ghetto. Maybe it was the spiked up hair. She made a mental note to ask him about that sometime.

"Meilin?"

"Yeah?" Meilin was brushing invisible lint from her navy blue cardigan.

"I had a dream yesterday."

"What was it about? I had a dream too. Only I don't remember it."

"I know. I woke up crying and not knowing why."

"Hmm. You know what; I think we're getting old."

"What?"

"We can't even remember our own dreams"

Tomoyo thought about that. "I think we don't remember because we don't want to remember. Memories I like I remember in detail… like that time when Sakura…" Tomoyo couldn't finish her sentence. She felt guilty because her friend was in the hospital and she was here in school talking about a nightmare she had. She felt stupid and useless. While Sakura was saving the world, she was on the sidelines taping. She didn't know why she had a fascination with Sakura. Probably because nothing much in her life made her happy like Sakura did. She was not only her cousin but her best friend. Tomoyo was always the perfect student, the singer, the artist. When she found out that Sakura had a skill that she didn't, she was at first jealous, then thrilled. Who wouldn't love to have a sorceress as a best friend?

"It wasn't your fault." Meilin tried to comfort her.

"I know, but I feel useless. Back then I was never a help to Sakura, and now that Syaoran is Card Captor, I'm still no help."

"Well you don't have magic."

"You don't either!"

"Hmph! I have my superior martial arts skills."

"Li, Meilin."

"Here."

"Li, Syaoran." Tougeika-sensei didn't get an answer so she looked around and spotted Syaoran. She didn't reprimand him for his inattentiveness though. Tougeika-sensei was the school's new English teacher. Her English name is Ms. Potter, but she decided she would adapt easier to Japanese culture if she translated her name to Tougeika. Tougeika-sensei was a very nice person. During the test last Friday, she gave the students candy to "get the brain-juices flowing". _Was it an English thing? Hmm. Another thing to ponder._

"Mizuki, Ayame"

"Here." A timid voice said from the door. Tomoyo trained her eyes on the girl at the door. She had long dark hair and green eyes. She looked frightened and seemed to not want to take a step forward into the classroom. The girl's green eyes looked up from the spot on the floor it was staring at and scanned the room. When her eyes met Tomoyo's on the left side of the room, a brief flicker of emotion flashed in her eyes. Tomoyo smiled and slowly but surely, the mysterious girl smiled also.

After attendance was called and the general ruckus of homeroom quieted down, Tougeika-sensei called Ayame before the other kids.

"Okay Ayame. No need to be nervous."

_But I am sensei, I'm terrified._ Of course, Ayame didn't say that. She just smiled to assure the teacher that she was alright. But she didn't feel alright at all. She felt like running out of the room and screaming at the top of her lungs. Now, that wouldn't solve the problem would it? So she stood there rooted to the floor imagining the eyes of the students in the class boring into her, analyzing her.

"So, tell us a little about yourself."

Ayame didn't know what to say. Suddenly her mouth felt hoarse, like the desert emptied its sand in it. She couldn't speak.

"Go on."

Shuffling her feet, Ayame mumbled, "I don't know."

Murmurs of 'what a dumb girl' and 'is she retarded?' spread through the class.

"What do you mean?" Tougeika-sensei asked.

"I just came from the hospital yesterday. I'm suffering from amnesia and I don't remember anything past yesterday."

A burly boy with red hair sitting in the back shouted loudly: "SEE! SHE IS STUPID!"

A couple of the kids sitting around him laughed. The teacher was too nice of a person to tell them to shut up.

"WILL YOU ALL SHUTUP!" a loud voice screeched. Looking up at the teacher, Ayame found that Tougeika was just as confused as she was. Scanning the crowd once again, she locked her eyes with the girl with the violet hair and eyes.

Seeing that Ayame wanted an explanation, Tomoyo grinned. Making an exasperated gesture, she pointed behind her at a slim girl with raven hair tied in two buns. The girl looked so small and childish, but it was clear that everyone was afraid of her. Everybody who had laughed before was quiet and the only person standing in the room besides Ayame and the teacher was none other than Li Meilin. Li Meilin standing ramrod straight with her hands flat against the table and her chair, her amber eyes flashing threateningly at the chubby boy with red hair. Seeing as Meilin wasn't going to say anything anytime soon, Tomoyo decided to speak for her.

"You know Satoshi, she's amnesic not deaf. And loss of memory does not mean loss of brain cells."

The boy at least had the decency to blush.

The day had been bearable. After Meilin's outburst, Ayame found that everybody was really nice to her. Extremely nice. Their smiles put her on guard, and wary that everybody was really being friendly because of Meilin, Ayame couldn't enjoy her first day at school. She breathed a sigh of relief as the bell rang for the dismissal of the last class of her day. Putting her books into her pack, Ayame stood up and prepared to walk out of the classroom.

"Hey." A voice made the young girl look up and she met the determined eyes of Li Meilin. She offered a weak "hi" in the face of such a strong presence. Dadouji Tomoyo stepped beside Meilin and Ayame felt the comforting presence that the girl seemed to emanate.

"Ayame-san, if anyone picks on you again, do not hesitate to tell me," stated the soft-spoken girl, her eyes closing in a pleasant smile.

"And me too! You can count on Li Meilin!"

Ayame met the eyes of the two slight girls standing near her, and for the first time that day, she beamed.

"Thank you."


End file.
